Army troopers make up a vast number of the
Empire's planet-bound fighting forces. These soldiers wear similar
uniforms to the Naval trooper, complete with helmet. But the Army wears a
gray-colored uniform and partial armor for protection.

These soldiers are trained only to fight,
and they do it very well. They are taught all manner of combat
techniques. Hand-to-hand, blaster pistol, grenade, and heavy weapons
training are just some of the areas these soldiers are expected to excel in.

The Imperial Army uses surface attack
vehicles such as AT-AT and AT-ST walkers to equal the fury of their assault
troopers. These vehicles are all heavily armed and armored to provide
maximum fire power and protection to the units they are assigned to.

The crews that service these war machines
are soldiers with training in the operation of a variety of ground assault
vehicles. Most of these machines are crewed by a pilot, a gunner, and a
combat coordinator (or commander). Depending on the size and type of
vehicle, there may be additional crew members or fewer crew handling multiple
roles.

While the Army suffered financially under
the Old Republic, one benefit to less money was less of a squabble in the Senate
over procurement of equipment; the contracts were less lucrative and therefore
subject to fewer predations by greedy commercial interests. this is
particularly true of the personal weapons and equipment of the average trooper,
which was built to last with a minimum of maintenance. The budgetary
wrangle over more expensive pieces of equipment, such as surface war vehicles,
was sufficient to ensure that the Army suffered problems similar to those of the
Navy, only on a smaller scale.

Since disbanding of the Senate and the
Battle of Yavin, no expense has been too great for the Empire. The Emperor
has ordered the pace of military build up - already staggering since the start
of the New Order - increased even more. He does not want his forces found
lacking when the next battle takes place.

Encased in protective armor and wielding
the most powerful personal weapons available, Imperial stormtroopers form the
Empire's elite shock troops and are feared throughout the galaxy.
Stormtroopers support the two arms of the military - assisting the ground forces
and the Imperial fleets - but still remain apart and separate from those
organizations.

Imperial command assigns stormtroopers
wherever they are needed to crush resistance and neutralize opposition to the
will of the Emperor. They are totally loyal and cannot be bribed, seduced
or blackmailed into betraying the New Order. they live in a totally
disciplined militaristic world where obedience is paramount and the will of the
Empire is unquestioned.

Where the men who wear the armor of the
stormtroopers are recruited from is unknown, just another part of the mystery
that adds to the aura of fear and secrecy that surrounds these soldiers.

Some say the stormtroopers were created to
provide the Emperor with an obedient force that was loyal to no one save
him. Others note that these specialized warriors were designed to provide
adequate protection to the varied worlds of the Galactic Empire with little
preparation time. Whether one or both of these are true, it remains that
the stormtroopers fit the doctrine of rule through fear very well indeed.

In addition to the core stormtrooper
forces (which some reports indicate is greater than the number of regular Army
and Naval forces combined), a number of elite divisions have been established to
move into a specialized environment at a moment's notice. These units are
equipped with particularly designed armor, weapons, and gear created for use in
specific environments.

The polar regions of most worlds remain
frozen, inaccessible wastelands - the perfect hiding place for rebel outposts,
smuggler ports and pirate coves. In response, the Empire has established a
special corps of elite stormtroopers trained and equipped to operate in these
environs. These are the cold assault stormtroopers, or "snowtroopers."

Snowtroopers work in tandem with AT-AT
walkers. these vehicles are ideally suited for the extreme temperatures
and icy terrain where snowtroopers are deployed.

There is no stealth involved in
snowtrooper combat tactics. They hit planets fast and hard, crushing
opposition quickly and completely. Efficient, fast and deadly,
snowtroopers are one of the most feared combat units in the Imperial military.

Another special unit of stormtroopers has
been established to handle another prominent environment throughout the
Empire. Aquatic assault stormtroopers - or "seatroopers" - are
trained and equipped to operate below the seas of the thousand-thousand worlds.

Seatroopers can be deployed quickly via
dropships, but are most often assigned to aquatic garrisons where they enjoy the
support of a fully loaded base, special water craft (including modified TIE
fighters), and powerful AT-AT swimmers.

While all stormtrooper armor provides
limited protection against hard vacuum, one elite division has been trained to
operate exclusively in outer space. Zero-G Assault Stormtroopers - or
"spacetroopers" - are deadly commandos of the highest order, second
only to the Imperial Royal Guards in training, loyalty, and destructive
capability. When it is necessary to capture a freighter, space station, or
other spacefaring vehicle, spacetroopers are deployed to handle the job.

A spacetrooper platoon uses a refitted and
heavily armored assault shuttle to stage its operations from. A five-man
command crew pilots the shuttle. All communication devices are patched
through the platoon commander's station so that the commander can monitor the
entire team's activities. He issues orders from on board the shuttle,
directing his troopers from within the flying fortress.

The assault shuttle is a formidable attack
vehicle its own right, but the 40 spacetroopers it carries are walking
arsenals. Each trooper wears a standard stormtrooper shell, but then pugs
into a full body armor encasing that performs as a personal spacecraft and
attack vehicle. Spacetroopers are limited by the amount of power their
armor can store, but they are trained to employ their armament effectively and
complete their specified mission within a limited period of time. If
unable to complete their mission within the limit, spacetroopers have standing
orders to return to their shuttle for recharging.

Because of their fearsome yet bulky
outfits, spacetroopers perform best in no-gravity environments such as deep
space and non-atmospher worlds.

Scouts use the explosively fast Aratech
74-Z speeder bike to perform their missions. Because speeder bikes require
sensitive handling, Imperial scouts wear highly specialized light weight
armor. this armor includes macrobinocular viewplates and full sensor
array, as well as a built-in computer to analyze incoming data quickly.
Without such aid, even the best scouts would be hard pressed to operate speeder
bikes at full speed.

When stormtroopers were first assigned to
Army and Navy units everyone questioned who they where and where they had come
from. Stormtroopers stayed to themselves and always referred to themselves
by number or rank rather than by name.

The early successes of the stormtroopers,
combined with their fearsome appearance, soon made the stormtrooper a symbol of
the New Order. Their fearless dedication set an example which was
enthusiastically followed by many troops and junior officers eager to move up in
the Army and Navy. The elite attitude of the stormtroopers has now firmly entrenched
itself throughout the Imperial forces.